Card index panel and card carrier combination



July 26, 1938. G. c. BRAINARD f CARD INDEX ANEL AND CARD CARRIER COMBINATION Filed July 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIII July 26, 1938. G. c. BRAINAD 2,124,904

CARD INDEX PANEL AND CARD CARRIER COMBINATION Filed July 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2/71g. 8. lzgll.

George @Bra 1w/ard,

Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD INDEX PANEL AND CARD CARRIER COMBINATION Application July 6, 1936, Serial No. 89,220

13 Claims.

This invention relates to card index panels such as are used in filing cabinet drawers or in books or on stands for the ling of index cards in visible, alphabetical or other order, and has f that the card carrier may readily and easily be applied to and removed from the panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for holding the card carrier securely applied to the panel against the possibility of accidental detachment therefrom, and which permits ready removal of the card carrier from the panel whenever desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card carrier having novel means for retaining cards thereon both when the carrier is applied to a panel and when it is removed from the panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card carrier having a card backing plate to facilitate writing upon the cards while they are f held on the card carrier, either when the latter is attached to the panel or is detached therefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the

same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in related views:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a card index panel showing the application thereto of a card carrier in accordance with one practical embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 illustrating an alternative form of panel carried retaining means for one of the present card carriers.

Figure 4 is a cross section illustrating an alternative form of card carrier.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. l illustrat- (Cl. 12S- 16) ing the combination of a card backing plate with one of the present card carriers.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Figure 'l is an enlarged vertical section on the line l-l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a portion of a panel illustrating another alternative form of panel carried card carrier retaining means.

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of a card carrier for use with a panel as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a Vertical section on the line I I--I l of Fig. 10; and Figure 12 is an enlarged cross section on the line |2-l2 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings in detail, first with particular reference to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, A designates a card index panel such as is used in a ling cabinet drawer to support one or more vertical rows of index cards, illustrated by dotted lines and designated as B, and C designates a card carrier on which the index cards B are slidably, removably mounted and which itself is mounted on the panel A so that it may readily be detached therefrom to facilitate rearrangement of the cards thereon or the shifting of some or all of the cards to another card carrier as, for example, when it is desired to expand the card system. When the card carrier C is operatively mounted on the panel A it extends vertically relative to said panel. Moreover, the side portions ID, IB of said card carrier are offset forwardly relative to the medial portion Il thereof, thereby to provide marginal flanges which are offset forwardly relative to the panel A when the card carrier is operatively mounted on said panel. The cards B are slitted at their bottoms in a manner well known in the art to provide tongues to engage behind the flanges l0, I0 to slidably hold the cards engaged with the card carrier C. The panel A may be narrow and may have only a single associated card carrier, or it may be of a width to accommodateV any desired plurality of card carriers disposed in side to side, spaced apart relationship.

In order to detachably mount the card carrier C on the panel A there is suitably fastened against the front face of said panel a pair of vertically extending, laterally spaced strips I2, l2 of sheet metal or other suitable sheet material having their adjacent marginal portions offset lforwardly from said panel in the form of flanges I3, I3. On the other hand, there is suitably fastened against the back of the medial portion II of the card carrier a strip I4 of sheet metal or other suitable sheet material the side portions of which are offset rearwardly from its medial portion and from the medial portion II of the card carrier, in the form of flanges I5, I5. The flanges I5, I5 are engageable in the channels between the flanges I3, I3 and the panel A, and the flanges I3, I3 are engageable in the channels between the flanges I5, I5 and the medial portion II of the card carrier C, by first disposing the card carrier and the strips I2, I2 in end to end relationship with the respective flanges alined with their Arelated channels and by then sliding the card carrier endwise relative to the strips I2, I2. In this connection, the card carrier may be formed so that it may be engaged with the strips I2, I2 either by upward movement or by downward movement of the card carrier relative to the strips I2, I2. In any event, it is manifest that the flanges I3, I3 need not correspond in length to the length of the card carrier and that the flanges I5, I5 may extend either throughout, or only partially throughout, the length of the card carrier. It also is manifest that when the card carrier is operatively engaged with the strips I2, I2 it is securely fastened to the panel A against removal therefrom except by endwise movement thereof relative to the panel. In this latter connection, in order to hold the card carrier against endwise movement relative to the panel A when said card carrier is operatively mounted; on said panel, any suitable means may be provided. For example, the card carrier may have a rearwardly directed flange at its top to engage the top edge of the panel, or, alternatively, or in association with such a flange, either the panel or the carrier may be provided with a hole or a recess and the other may be provided with a protuberance to snap into said hole or recess, all as illustrated in connection with the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 7. Preferably the card carrier is engageable with the strips I2, I2 only by downward movement relative to said strips, and preferably said card carrier is provided at its top with a rearwardly directed flange to engage the upper edge of the panel A to limit downward movement of the card carrier relative to said panel. Preferably, too, a recess and a cooperating protuberance are provided as illustrated in Figs. 5 to '7 to prevent accidental upward movement of the carrier relative to the panel. A protuberance and recess as shown and described obviously comprises only a frictional holding means, and, therefore, is releasable by suitably forcing the card carrier upwardly relative to the panel.

At its bottom the card carrier C preferably is turned outwardly and upwardly in spaced relationship to the front thereof to provide a lip I8 to serve as a seat for the lowermost card of a stack engaged on said card carrier and to assure that when the card carrier is lifted the cards will be lifted therewith.

The strip III may be fastened to the card carrier C either by rivets or in any other suitable manner, and the strips I2, I2 likewise may be fastened to the panel A in any suitable manner. Also, the panel A may be formed from any suitable sheet material.

Figure 3 of the drawings illustrates that instead of employing two separate strips I2, I2 to provide the flanges I3, I3, said flanges, designated as I3', I3 in Fig. 3, may be provided by turning inwardly the side marginal portions of a single strip designated as I2. In other respects the Fig. 3 construction is, or may be, the same as the Figs. 1 and 2 construction.

Figure 4 of the drawings illustrates that instead of employing a strip I4 fastened to the carrier C to provide the flanges I5, I5 as in the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, said flanges, designated as I5', I5 in Fig. 4, may be provided as integral parts of the carrier, designated as C in Fig. 4, by being pressed rearwardly therefrom.

Figs. 5 to '7 of the drawings illustrate not only that the card carrier C is flanged rearwardly at its top, as indicated at I'I, for engagement with the top edge of the panel A to limit downward movement of the card carrier relative to said panel, and that the card carrier is provided with a protuberance I8 to snap into a hole I9 on a strip I2 to frictionally hold the card carrier against upward movement, but that a posting or backing plate 2U is provided at the rear of the card carrier C' to support the cards B to facilitate writing thereon while they are mounted on the card carrier. As best shown in Fig. 6, the said backing plate 20 is interposed between the card carrier C and the strip I4', and, as will be understood, the said card carrier, the strip I4 and said backing plate 20 may be secured together in unitary assembly by rivets or any other suitable fastening means.

Figures 8 to 12 of the drawings illustrate that the panel flanges, designated in Figs. 8 and 9 as I3, may be struck directly from the material of the panel, designated as A2, and that the card carrier C2, formed with flanges I5u as illustrated and described in connection with Fig. 4, and with a flange corresponding to the flange I'I of Figs. 5 and 7, may have its medial portion II pressed to provide a rearwardly directed protuberance I8 to snap into a hole I9 in the panel A2 to frictionally hold the card carrier operatively engaged with the panel. In other respects the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 to 12 is, or may be, the same as illustrated and described in connection with the Figs. l to 7 forms of the invention. In other words, any of the illustrated forms of card carriers may be used with a panel provided with flanges in either manner illustrated.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages -of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a card panel having a pair of elongated, parallel, laterally spaced flanges, and a card carrier including opposite edge portions for slidably receiving index cards and also having a pair of elongated, parallel, laterally spaced flanges for cooperation with said panel flanges to retain the card carrier detachably connected with the panel.

2. In combination, a card panel having a pair of elongated, parallel, laterally spaced flanges forwardly offset relative to the panel, and a card carrier including opposite edge portions for slidably receiving index cards and also having a pair of elongated, parallel, laterally spaced flanges rearwardly olset relative to said carrier for intertting cooperation with the panel flanges to retain the card carrier detachably connected with the panel.

3. In combination, a card panel, an elongated card carrier, means whereby said card carrier is connectable with and disconnectable from said panel solely by longitudinal movement thereof relative to the panel, and a flange on the card carrier entirely separate and distinct from said first named means for engagement with an edge of the panel to limit longitudinal connecting movement of the card carrier relative to the panel.

4. In combination, a card panel, an elongated card carrier, means whereby said card carrier is connectable with and disconnectable from said panel solely by longitudinal movement of the card carrier relative to the panel, means on the carrier for engaging one edge of the panel to limit longitudinal connecting movement of the card carrier relative to the panel, and means separate and distinct from said first named means to frictionally hold the card carrier against longitudinal disconnecting movement relative to the panel.

5. In combination, a card panel element, a card carrier element, slidably interengaging flanges on said panel and carrier elements and a hook on the carrier element to engage the upper edge of the panel element for holding the carrier element detachably mounted on the panel element, one of said elements having a recess, and a protuberance on the other element to snap into said recess to frictionally hold the carrier element against detachment from the panel element, said recess and protuberance being separate from said flanges.

6. In combination, a card panel, a card carrier, means detachably mounting said card carrier on said card panel, and a card backing plate carried by said card carrier to provide a support for cards on said carrier to facilitate writing on the cards.

7. In combination, a card panel, a card carrier, means at the rear of said card carrier for engagement with cooperating means on the panel to detachably mount the card carrier on the panel, and a card backing plate interposed between said card carrier and the mounting means at the rear thereof to support cards on the carrier for convenience in writing on said cards.

8. In combination, a card panel, a card carrier disposed against the front of said panel, interengaging formations on said panel and said car rier holding the carrier vertically slidably engaged with the panel and against forward movement throughout its length relative to the panel, and means limiting downward movement of the carrier relative to the panel comprising a hook on the carrier engageable with the top of the panel.

9. A Card carrier including a strip having opposite edge portions for slidably receiving the medial portions of index cards, means for detachably mounting the carrier on a support, and a card posting member mounted on said card carrier to underlie and provide a backing for a card, engaged with said card carrier, to facilitate the posting of data thereon.

10. In combination, a card panel having an opening, a card carrier, means on said carrier for suspending the same from said panel, and means on said carrier to fit into said opening to releasably interlock the carrier with the panel against upward movement relative thereto.

11. In combination, a card panel having an opening, a card carrier, means on said card carrier for engaging the top of the panel to limit downward movement of the carrier relative to the panel, and means on said carrier to t into said opening to releasably interlock the carrier with the panel against upward movement relative thereto.

12. A card carrier including a strip having opposite edge portions for slidably receiving index cards, means on said carrier for detachably mounting the same on a support, and a card backing element on the back of the carrier eX- tendng laterally beyond the side edges of the carrier to underlie and provide a support for cards on the carrier to facilitate writing on the cards.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 10 in which the opening in the panel is of rectangular shape, and the means on the carrier for suspending the same from the panel-comprises a hook member at the top of the carrier to engage the upper edge of the panel, and in which the means on the carrier to fit into said opening comprises a projection having side edge portions to engage the walls defining the side edges of said opening.

GEORGE C. BRAINARD. 

